Drop pit apparatus



March 15, 1932. F; w. BLAKE DROP PIT APPARATUS Filed July 28, 1931 5 Sheets-SheetK l March 15', 1932. F. w. BLAKE' 'A DROP PIT APPARATUS ,Filed Julyl 28. 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 15, 1932. 'F w. BLAKE ml-9,972

DROP PIT APPARATUS Filed July 28. 1951 5 SheetS-Shee't 5 C Ela/w26 ZIBLa/hfy,

a? M JM mmh 15, 1932. F. W. BLAKE l 1,849,972

DROP PIT APPARATUS Filed July 28, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 fan-l5 ZU ,Bia/hie;

March l5, 1932.

F. w. BLAKE DROP PIT APPARATUS Filed July 28, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ,Pme/ni? Tmmo Z0. `Bla/i064 Patented Mar. 15, 1932 ANITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I FRANK W. BLAKE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MANNING, MAXWELL & MOORE,

INC., F NEW YORK1 N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY liii DROP PIT APIARATUS Application sied Juiy 28, 1931.

This invention relates to apparatus for facilitating the removal of wheels, trucks and the like from locomotives and other railwayiolling stock, and for transporting the wheels,

etc., away from and returning them to rthe locomotive or car.

Among the types of apparatus heretofore used foi: this purpose is a lifting and lowering means comprising screw-threaded rods or shafts by means of which a table supporting the wheels is raised and lowered.' This type of elevating and lowering means has proved unsatisfactory and unsafe owing to lack of sufficient strength and rigidity. A particular object of the present invention is to provide a construction which shall be free from the objections incident to the use of such screw-threaded shafts'or rods.

Another object is to utilize electric power as distinguished from the hydraulic power employed in other types of drop pit apparatus.

A further object is to provide means to prevent the table from being unlatched until the raising and lowering vmeans is in supporting relation to the table.

In the accompanyingdrawings Figure l is a transverse vertical sectional view through a drop pit showing a table bridging the pit andillustr'ating-an apparatus below the table for raising .and loweri ing it.

'F ig. 2 is a fragmental diagranariiatic lviewy illustrating one of various possible arrangements of tracks to be served by thepit. yr/

Fig. 3 is a view taken inthe `plane of iline 3-3 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 4 is a View similar to that o`f.-F, ig.` 3,.'y

but showing the machinery carriage `in its lowered position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view'of one ofthe f tables on a smaller. scale. l,

Fig. 6 is a fragniental plan view of oi'ieof the tables and the means for supporting' it in operative position.

Fig. 7 is aV Iragmental elevation on line 7-7' of Figs. 3, 6 and 8 illustrating a table in operative position and also sliowing'fther machinery carriage elevated into contact with the table.

Serial No. 553,691.

Fig. 't'a is a detail view of a locking disk.

Fig. 8 is a plan View with parts broken away.

It will be understood that this invention may be used in connection with various arrangements of pits and trackage. Fig. 2 is an illustration of one installation, A being an elongated pit extending transversely of three surface tracks B. The rails are designated BQ. C are tables which bridge the pit A iii line with the tracks B, each of said tables carrying rails C which complete the tracks B. D are service tracks, herein shown as located intermediate the tracks B, but which ni-ay be located anywhere along the pit A.

The tables C may be constructed in any preferred manner. The form herein shown and illustrated particularly in Fig. 5 comprises two parallel H-beams 1 rigidly connected together by means of two beams 2 of'angular cross-section to form a rectan ularframe., Frame members 3 arefconnecte fto the endsv of the beanis2 and tothe adjacentfH-b'eams 1 and provide'open"spacst'initheends of the table. The ,railsl'Cl-. areinounted; upon l and `rigidly secured tdtheHbe'ams'L "i Y The tablepG'isvdetacliablyfsiipported in four latches 5. These latches are best shown in Figs. `6aiid`v7."v As illustrated in Fig. 6,

each latch consists of two bars united at their ioiiter ends by means of a web and' connected at-'their inner endsby means of a pinor bolt t. 'Thepink extends throughan elongated opening 8in the verticalweb of the H-beam 1.

' As'shown inFig'. '6, there is a latch 5 yat each end of each of the H-b'eams 1. All of the latches are'coiinected for simultaneous move- 'ment ,into and out of effective position by v"means herein/'shown as compri/sing rack bars 9 eacli'rigidly connected to the inner end of one lof the latches' 5,'tlie rack bars on the latches of a given H-beari 1 meshing with 'i a pinion 1() fixed upon a/fock shaft 11 which Ais ymounted in bearings/in the H-beams 1 and in one of the end frame-members 3. A hand "lever 12 is fixed to one end of the rock rshaft l11 for use in turning said shaft to project the latches 5 into locking recesses 13 provided in the walls of the pit orto Withdraw them from said recesses.

The means for raising and lowering the table C and for transporting it from the vertical plane of a surface track B to the vertical-plane of a service track D and back again comprises a truck or car 14. In the form herein shown, the truck 14 comprises a rigid rectangular framework 15 supported on wheels 16 arranged to run upon rails 17 on the ioor of the pit. Rising from the corners of the frame 15 are four columns 18. These columns are of such height as to ass under any of the tables C in the travel o the truck. The columns 18 support a vertically movable machinery carriage 19 which is shown in its elevated position in Fig. 3 and in its lowered position in ig. 4.

The carriage 19 is generally of rectangular form and has openings 19 (Fig. 8) in its four corners through which the columns 18 extend, said columns serving accurately to guide the carriage in its vertical movements.

. The carriage is suspended from the upper ends of the columns 18 by means of cables 2O herein shown as being flat wire ropes so that the may be wound up on' winding drums of relatively small diameter without injury due to bending. While the cables 2O may be anchored to the columns in any convenient manner, they are herein shown as connected to eyebolts 21 which are mounted on the outer sides of the columns 18 for vertical adjustment. The upper end of each cable is attached to a connecting member 22 which in turn is secured to the eyebolt 21. On the upper end of each column 18 is a guide member 23 providing a rounded surface over which the cable 20 extends. The lower end of the cable 20 is attached to a winding drum 24 (Fig. 8) which is rotatably mounted upon a Xed pivot 25 supported in the machinery carriage 19 adjacent to the column 18.

Rigidly connected to the winding ldrum 24 is a spur gear wheel 26 that meshes with a pinion 27 which is rotatably mounted upon a fixed pivot 28 supported in the machinery carriage. Rigid with the pinion 27'l is a spur gear wheel 29 that meshes with a4 pinion 30 (Fig. 3) on a shaft 31 (Fig. 8) mounted in bearings in the machinery carriage. Fixed to said shaft 31 is a worm wheel 32 that meshes with a worm 33 driven by an electric motor 34. vAs indicated in Fig. 8, the two gear trains for driving the Winding drums` at each end of the machinery carriage comprise 'pinions 30 on opposite ends of the shaft 31. The Worm wheel 32 is mounted on the mid-portion of the shaft 31. The motor 34 is mounted'on the lower side of the machinery carriage at the middle thereof and drives two worms 33. One of the Worms is right-hand and the other left-hand. It will be seen that when the motor is energized, the

machinery carriage 19 will be raised or lowered on the columns 18, depending upon the direction of operation of the motor.

nAny Suitable braking means may be provided to hold the machinery carriage in adjusted position, as for example, a brake 36 (Fig. 8) applied by spring pressure and re leased by a solenoid.

As shown in Fig. 7 the upper side of the machinery carriage comprises flat members 37 adapted to bear against the lower sides of the horizontal webs of the angular beams 2 of the table C.

In order that it shall not be` possible to operate the latch lever 12 unless the machinery carriage 19 is in supporting relation to the table C, I provide means such, for example, as a latch 38 (Figs. 6 and 7) pivoted to one of the H-beams 1 at 39. lOn the rock shaft 11 is fixed a locking diski40 (Figs. 6 and 7a) having a slot into which the latch 38 extends.- A pin 41 is fixed in the disk 40 and extends through the slot therein. Below the free end of the latch 38 is a stop 42 (Fig. 7) which normally supports the latch 38 with its free end in line with the pin 41, thereby preventing the shaft 11 from being turned in the direction to withdraw the latches 5, that is to say, in counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 7. The latch 38 is automatically lifted olf the stop i2 when the machinery carriage is raised into contact with the beams 2 through contact of the frame member 43 of the machinery carriage with a Weight 44 which is attached to the latch 38. The latch is shown in its raised position in Fig. 7.

In practice, conventional means (none being herein illustrated) is provided for supplying electric current to the motor 34 and the magnetic brake 36 and for preventing over-travel of the machinery carriage at the top and bottom limits of its movement. y

Any desired means may be employed to cause the truck 14 to travel on the rails 17.

The mode of use is as follows: Assuming that a pair of drive wheels is to be removed from a locomotive, the locomotive is driven into position on one of the surface tracks B and stopped with said set of drive wheels standing on the table C. The truck 14 is positioned in the pit directly beneath the table C and the motor 34 is operated to raise the machinery carriage into engagement with the table C. .The machinery carriage is raised suiiiciently farther to lift the latches 5 out of contact with the bottom walls of the locking recesses 13, whereupon the lever 12 is operated to retract the latches 5. rlhe set of drive wheels having been released from the locomotive, the machinery carriage is lowered, carrying with it the table C and thel pair of wheels standing thereon. As the table C descends, the columns 18 extend through the openings 4. If the truck must pass under another table that bridges the pit,

columns mounted on said truc the machinery carriage is lowered sufficiently so that the drive wheels will clear such other table, after which the truck is moved along its rails 111' until it is in the vertical plane ot' the service track D onto which the locomotive wheels are to be rolled. The machinery carriage is then raised until the rails C are in line with the rails D, whereupon the locomotive wheels are rolled oli' the table C. In returning the wheels to the locomotive, the order of operations vis reversed.

It will be seen that the construction herein disclosed is very sturdy and that the means by which the machinery carriage is raised and lowered is not subject to the drawbacks attending the use of screw-threaded rods.

I claim as my invention:

1'. Drop pit apparatus comprising a truck, columns mounted on said truck, a machinery carriage, cables Connected to the upper ends of the columns, winding drums on the machinery carriage, the cables being connected to said drums, and means on the machinery carriage for driving the drums to wind up and unwind the cables and thus raise and low er the machinery carriage.

. 2. In drop pit apparatus the combination with a pit, of a truck arranged to travel in the pit, four columns mounted on said truck near the corners thereof, a machinery carriage guided for vertical m'ovement on the columns, cables connected to the upper ends of the columns., winding drums on the Inachinery carriage, the cables being connected to said drums, and means on the machinery carriage for drivin the drums to wind up and unwind the ca les and thus raise and lower the machinery carriage.

3. Drop pit apparatus comprising a truck,

a carriage on the truck, and means for raising and lowering the carriage, said means including hoisting cables guided to extend longitudinally of the columns.

4:. Drop pit apparatus comprising a truck, columns mounted on said truck, a carriage, and means for suspending the carria e from the columns, said means including ca les eX- tending over the upper portions of the columns, and winding drums to which the cables are connected.

5. Drop pit apparatus comprising a truck, a carriage, columns on the truck, means for suspending the carriage from the columns comprising Hat cables extending over the upper portions of the columns, and winding drums to which the cables are connected, said drums being supported on one of the rstmentioned two parts, namely the truck and the carriage.

6. Drop pit apparatus comprising a table, means for supporting the table in operative position, means to operate the supporting means, a truck arranged to travel in the pit,

and table-lifting means on the truck, said table-lifting means being arranged to control operation of the means for operating the table-supporting means.

7. Drop pit apparatus comprising a table, latches on the table, means engageable by the latches for supporting the table in operative position, a truck arranged to travel in the pit, columns on said truck, a machinery carriage, winding means on the carriage, cables connected to the upper ends of the columns and to the windin means, means on the machinery carriage or actuating the winding means, a latch to-prevent operation of the first-mentioned latches, and means on the machinery carriage to render the secondmentioned latch `meective when the machinery carriage is in supporting relation to the table.

8. Drop pit apparatus comprising a supporting structure including a plurality o columns, a machinery carriage guided by said structure for Vertical movement, cables connected to the upper portions of the columns, Winding drums on the machinery carriage, the cables being connected to said drums, and means on the machinery carriage for driving the drums to 'wind up and unwind the cables and thus raise and lower the machinery carriage.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

FRANK W. BLAKE. 

